Extraction and drying after a freeze splits a pipe in a Seattle crawl space, exterior wall or unheated corner.
Fastest: call (833) 490-5225. Or send this and we call you back.
Frozen pipe damage in Seattle usually appears when the ice melts and water runs from a split. Seattle Water Damage Restoration answers phones 24/7 and schedules same day when a technician is free. Close the main, open a faucet, and call; a plumber repairs the pipe while the crew extracts and dries.
A frozen pipe does not leak while it is frozen. The ice plugs the split, and the water only starts to run when the temperature climbs back above freezing, often hours after you thought the danger had passed. A house can be quietly flooding inside a wall while the weather looks like it is improving.
In Seattle this call is unusual, and that is exactly the problem. The marine climate keeps winters mild, hard freezes are the exception, and houses are rarely built or maintained with them in mind. Pipes in vented crawl spaces, along exterior walls, in detached garages and in unheated utility rooms are often uninsulated. When a cold snap does arrive, those are the pipes that split.
This page covers what happens after the split: where to look, how to stop the water, how the structure is dried, and what to ask a plumber. We do not quote freeze dates or temperatures for past winters here, because we do not have a sourced record to cite.
Shut off the main, open the nearest faucet, and warm the area slowly with a hair dryer or heater, never an open flame. Check for leaks as the pipe thaws, and call a plumber. If water appears, call us as well. Do not leave a frozen pipe unattended.
The reason to shut the main is that a pipe can be cracked and plugged with ice at the same time. Once it thaws, the water runs. Having the valve closed turns a flood into a repair.
Move warmth toward the pipe from the faucet side, so melting water has somewhere to go. Leave a faucet open so pressure does not build. Never use a torch or open flame on a pipe inside a wall or near insulation.
Freezes are uncommon in a mild marine climate, so crawl spaces are vented, pipes run through exterior walls, and insulation is thin or absent. A cold snap finds the weak points. Many owners learn which lines are exposed only after one splits.
Building habits follow weather. In a place where hard freezes are rare, the cost of insulating every run seems hard to justify, and vented crawl spaces are chosen to fight dampness, not cold.
A cold spell here is typically brief. That helps, but it also means people are caught out: they have no heat tape, no foam sleeves, and no habit of leaving a tap dripping on the coldest night.
A sudden split is commonly covered under homeowners policies, though some require that you kept the heat on. Gradual leaks are often excluded. Ask your insurer, keep photographs and a moisture log, and save the burst section of pipe if you can.
Policies often include conditions about maintaining heat in a vacant home. If the house was empty, say so honestly and ask what applies.
The plumber's written description of the failure is valuable. A split lengthwise is consistent with ice, while a corroded pinhole suggests a different cause and might be treated differently.
Never use an open flame, torch or high-powered heater on a frozen pipe, and do not touch electrical items near thawing water. Call (833) 490-5225.
If you suspect a split, shut off the main valve first, even if nothing is leaking yet. The leak starts when the ice melts, and the main is the control you have.
The technician checks crawl-space pipes, exterior walls and garage runs, using meters and a thermal camera to find where water is entering. Splits are often small lengthwise cracks that spray under pressure.
Water is extracted from floors and carpet, and wet insulation and drywall are cut back where a meter shows trapped moisture. Crawl-space insulation that has soaked and sagged is usually replaced.
Dehumidifiers and air movers work through the framing, and a return visit confirms the readings. A mild, damp climate slows this, so the closed-system method matters.
A plumber replaces the split section, and you ask about insulation or heat tape so the next cold snap does not repeat it. We dry; the plumber and insulator prevent.
Supply lines run under the floor in many older houses, often with little insulation and open vents. A split here can leak into the crawl space for days before water reaches the floor above. See crawl space water damage.
Pipes in an outside wall have only a thin barrier between them and the cold. Splits here soak wall cavities and insulation, and the stain may appear on the opposite side of the room.
A hose bib with a hose left attached can freeze back into the wall. Detached garages and sheds with a sink or a washer are unheated and often forgotten until they flood.
A frozen-pipe job is priced like any other water loss: by wet area, water category and drying days. We have no Seattle or Washington price, so these are national figures.
| Job | Typical range | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Typical total for a water damage job (national) | $1,305–$5,707, average about $3,455 | Bob Vila, citing Angi and HomeAdvisor data; a national figure, not a Seattle price |
| Cost per sq ft by water category (national) | Category 1 $3–$4, Category 2 $4–$6.50, Category 3 $7–$7.50 | Repeated across several national guides; not a Seattle quote |
| Crawl-space insulation replacement | Quoted on site | Depends on square footage and access |
| Plumber repair or re-pipe | Quoted on site | Billed by the plumber, separate from the drying |
Estimates only. Every dollar figure above is a national figure from the publisher named, not a Seattle or Washington price. Your own price is confirmed on site, and put in writing, before any work starts.
Call any hour and explain what is going on. You get a clear price before any work starts.
Seattle's rainy season runs roughly October to March, and a cold snap can fall inside it. The combination of wet crawl spaces and a brief freeze is hard on pipes: damp insulation conducts cold, and a wet floor is slow to recover.
Older neighborhoods have more exposure. Foursquare and Craftsman houses frequently have a vented crawl space or a north-facing utility room where the supply lines were run decades ago, with no thought for insulation. Mid-century houses on slab or with crawl spaces tend to have pipes in the slab or the underfloor.
A second home or rental that sits empty for weeks is a special case: it can freeze and thaw unseen, so a neighbor or manager checking it during a cold snap is worth arranging.
Cleanup and drying after a pipe fails in a Seattle house, from corroded galvanized lines to fittings behind plaster.
Pumping and drying a wet crawl space in a Seattle-area house, including sagging insulation and damp vapor barriers.
How a wet Seattle house is dried to measured readings, from plaster and fir floors to basement slabs and crawl spaces.
Pumps, extractors and moisture checks for standing water in Seattle basements, lower levels and living areas.
Not sure if you're covered? Check your ZIP code.
Ice in a split pipe acts as a plug. When the temperature rises above freezing, the plug melts and water flows from the crack. That is why a thaw is the dangerous moment, and why the main valve should be closed before it begins.
Warm air from a hair dryer, applied slowly from the faucet end with the tap open, is the safest approach. Never use a flame. If a pipe is inside a wall or you cannot reach it, call a plumber, and shut the main in the meantime.
It reduces the risk but cannot make a pipe freeze-proof. Foam sleeves slow heat loss, heat tape adds warmth, and keeping the house heated helps most. For lines in a vented crawl space, sealing the vents on a cold night helps.
A water meter that moves with every fixture off, a hissing sound, a growing stain or a warm or damp patch are signs. A technician traces the area with meters and a thermal camera, which avoids cutting where the wall is dry.
No. A plumber repairs the pipe, and we extract the water and dry the structure. We tell you early if a plumber is needed so the drying and the repair do not delay each other.
Yes, because wet insulation and soil keep humidity high under the floor, and mold can follow. Sagging insulation is usually replaced, and the vapor barrier is checked. Ignoring a wet crawl space often leads to a second problem later.